CARY, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 9, 2026--
Cornerstone Building Brands, a leading manufacturer of exterior building products in North America, today announced that Austin So has been appointed Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, effective July 13, 2026. In this role, Austin will lead the company’s legal function and provide strategic counsel on corporate governance, compliance, risk management, government relations and business transformation priorities.
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“Austin brings exceptional leadership experience, industry knowledge and a proven ability to help businesses successfully navigate change and growth,” said Gunner Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Cornerstone Building Brands. “He’s a strategic, business-oriented leader and I’m confident he will be a strong partner as we continue to strengthen our business, support our customers and execute on our strategic priorities.”
Austin brings nearly 25 years of broad legal and executive leadership experience, including 14 years as General Counsel across publicly traded, private equity-controlled and global conglomerate organizations. He most recently served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Head of Government Relations and Chief Sustainability Officer at Armstrong World Industries, where he helped align legal, government relations and sustainability initiatives with the company’s growth strategy.
Previously, Austin served as Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary at StoneMor Inc., and, earlier in his career, he was Division General Counsel and Secretary for Heraeus Holding GmbH.
“I'm honored to join Cornerstone Building Brands at such an important time for the organization,” Austin said. “The company’s market leadership, strong product portfolio and commitment to serving customers create a compelling foundation for continued growth. I look forward to partnering with team members across the organization to support the company’s strategic priorities and help create long-term value.”
Austin began his legal career in private practice with leading law firms, including Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP. He holds a bachelor’s degree in government from Harvard University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
About Cornerstone Building Brands
Cornerstone Building Brands is a leading manufacturer of exterior building products for residential and low-rise non-residential buildings in North America. Headquartered in Cary, N.C., we serve residential and commercial customers across the new construction and Repair & Remodel (R&R) markets. Our market-leading portfolio of products spans vinyl windows, vinyl siding, stone veneer, metal roofing, metal wall systems and metal accessories. Cornerstone Building Brands’ broad, multi-channel distribution platform and expansive national footprint includes approximately 19,400 team members at manufacturing, distribution and office locations throughout North America. Corporate stewardship is embedded in our culture and guides our commitment to responsible growth, environmental care and community impact. For more information, visit us at cornerstonebuildingbrands.com.
Austin So, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Cornerstone Building Brands. Photo courtesy of Cornerstone Building Brands.
NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street and oil prices are holding steadier Thursday following their sharp swings the day before in the wait to see what will come next after President Donald Trump raised doubts about the temporary truce in the war with Iran.
The S&P 500 rose 0.3%, even though the United States launched new airstrikes against Iran, which responded by targeting U.S. allies in the Middle East. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 47 points, or 0.1%, as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.5% higher.
In the oil market, prices edged lower following their spurts higher from the day before. The price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, slipped 0.1% to $77.94. That’s down from $78.02 the day before but still above its $71.80 price at the end of last week.
The worry is that a return to full-blown war will block oil tankers from the Strait of Hormuz and prevent the delivery of crude from the Persian Gulf to customers worldwide. That could worsen inflation, which economists expected would ease with oil prices, and in turn force the Federal Reserve and other central banks to raise interest rates.
Higher rates can keep a lid on inflation, but they also slow the economy and hurt prices for all kinds of investments.
But Trump also said Wednesday that the latest back-and-forth fighting would not result in “long-term” military action, raising uncertainty about just what will happen.
The swings for oil prices have halted what had been a steady decline in gasoline prices, and the cost for a gallon climbed a nickel overnight, according to motor club AAA. The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline was $3.85 Thursday, up 69 cents from a year earlier.
In the meantime, some renewed strength for computer chip companies and other winners of the boom around artificial-intelligence technology are helping to support stock markets worldwide.
In South Korea, whose stock market is dominated by two companies that make semiconductors, the Kospi index rose 0.6% after tumbling 5.3% the day before. SK Hynix, which is preparing to sell shares of stock that will trade in the United States, jumped 5.3% in Seoul.
On Wall Street, Micron Technology’s rise of 7.2% was the strongest force pushing upward on the S&P 500. Close behind ws the 3.5% rise for Broadcom.
Such stocks have become some of Wall Street’s most influential after growing so big in the euphoria around AI. But AI stocks have also come pressure recently on worries that their prices shot too high and that AI may not produce enough productivity and profits to make all the investments in chips and data centers worth it.
They and other stocks also got some help from stabilizing yields in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury held at 4.56%, where it was the day before.
It had been climbing on worries about high oil prices and the potential for higher interest rates, cranking up the pressure on stocks and prices for other investments.
Besides the war with Iran, another big event for Wall Street is the upcoming start of the latest earnings reporting season. Next week, the biggest banks are set to unveil how much profit they made from April through June. Companies broadly will need to report strong growth to justify the big moves their stock prices have made.
PepsiCo fell 4.8% even though it reported slightly better revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Numbers released by the company behind Gatorade and Doritos showed weakening trends in its North American food and drinks businesses.
In stock markets abroad, indexes rose across much of Europe and Asia.
Besides Seoul’s climb, stock indexes rose 1.7% in Shanghai and 0.7% in Paris.
On the losing end was Hong Kong’s Hang Seng, which slipped 0.7% as shares of Apple supplier Luxshare fell 1.5% in its trading debut.
AP Business Writers Chan Ho-him and Matt Ott contributed to this report.
Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Patrick McKeon works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Michael Pistillo, left, and Federico DeMarco work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Currency traders work near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
A currency trader passes by a screen showing international oil prices at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
A currency trader watches monitors near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics Co. stock price at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Currency traders watch monitors near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
